The Kanto Champion Returns!
by Stormshard
Summary: *REVIVED STORY* After years of training on Mt. Silver, the missing Kanto Champion Leaf is called back to action by Professor Oak: the disbanded Team Rocket is back! After rushing back to Pallet Town Leaf learns that she must work side-by-side with no other than Blue to save the world. But perhaps time away will actually bring the two closer? Conflictingshipping/Oldrivalshipping
1. The Letter

Leaf ran her fingers through her now clean, auburn locks. Based on the Professor's headlining, his Fearow had been traveling alone for three months to find her. Despite the Professor's reassurance, guilt pulled her stomach down to the core of the Earth. She had won the Pokemon League three years ago and has been a ghost to her region ever since. Kanto would pop in her mind every once in a while during her hiatus, but never did she question herself the way she was now: Was it really feasible to leave?

She gazed intensely at the Fearow's Pokeball. He must be happy in there after that scowl he gave her on Mt. Silver - probably due to the annoyance of having a few extra pounds tied around his neck for a quarter of a year. If she had accepted the fame and the circumstance that came along with her acquired title, Team Rocket would probably not dare to face the wrath of her. She was only able to imagine how much Kanto had altered in her absence.

"Pardon me, Ma'am?"

Leaf snapped out of her thoughts immediately. Standing in front of her was a quizzical man in daring but dashing attire. Must be the newest fashion trend. He was toying with the edge of his curly mustache and adjusted his glasses. She didn't recognize him so she assumed he was the tailor.

"I would like to thank your patience. We have just received shipment of new fabric materials a few minutes ago in the stockroom. I am ready to process your order." He pulled out a pen and paper from the chest pocket. "So tell me, what kind of look are we going for?"

Leaf titled her head downward again. "Nothing fancy. Use my old clothes as reference. I just want better sizing."

"O-oh!" The man stood upright. He was taken aback by the lack of her enthusiasm; normally his customers would be excited to upgrade their outfit after a hot spa bath. But this girl was blunt and seemed to be in a hurry. "I see! Well then, in ten minutes I'll have your order ready, which includes…a black, undershirt topped off with a blue sleeveless shirt, a red flare skirt, and size seven sneakers in the Wartortle style. I also collected your hat and bag."

The tailor handed Leaf her prized possessions. She nodded in understanding, dismissing the him from the room. Oddly enough, she felt a bit relieved from the interaction. If there was one thing that hadn't changed in Kanto, it would be the clothing system. Clothes were usually custom created by a tailor for someone - whether a breeder, trainer, or civilian – and they would wear them until they outgrew the attires. Just about every person in Kanto always altered their clothes, but Leaf has always had the habit to keep a similar appearance overtime since her now dead father created it when she was six years old. Nothing could beat his design.

After fifteen minutes and a clothing change later, Leaf's mind began to race. For the first time in her life she didn't want to be alone and would rather be around people; now that she was returning to Kanto, bad memories were beginning to pop up in her mind that she wanted to shake off and be distracted by. It's okay, you're almost at Pallet Town, she told herself.

"And your total comes to...3500 Pokedollars, please." The cashier lady smiled.

In response, the now comfortable Leaf pulled out 4500 Pokedollars from her washed, pale yellow bag.

The lady scanned each bill briefly with her fingers, and looked up with a puzzled face.

"The rest is tip." Leaf explained.

The cashier's face immediately lit up and accepted the generous offer. "Well, thank you so much for your business and kindness! Come back anytime!"

Leaf nodded again, clutching on to the tip of her hat as she showed herself out of the building she was happy to be free from. Public places full of extraverted people weren't her thing.

"Charizard, come out."

The orange dragon appeared out of his Pokeball, uncertain whether he should be concerned with the unfamiliar scenery. He turned to his trainer to study her behavior. Expecting such hesitance, Leaf knew she needed to inform her team and called out the rest of her Pokemon. They shared similar confusions like Charizard's.

"I know-" Leaf paused, excusing the alarmed faces. "I know this is the first time we've been off the mountain in awhile…years in fact. Right now we're in the nearby outskirts. We are going to head back to Pallet Town now."

Venusaur, Espeon, and Pikachu let out a peppy cheer, Charizard's eyes widened slightly, Blastoise titled his head, and Lapras seemed overwhelmed and look around at its peers to figure out what to feel.

"But this isn't because our training is done," Leaf continued, "it's because Team Rocket has revived itself. And we have to stop them."

Immediately, the atmosphere became serious. The elite team wore their game faces and braced themselves – a quality Leaf had always admired in them. "Everyone, prepare yourself mentally. The next time I call you out might be for battle now that we're travelling around again. Charizard, please stay out of your Pokeball and take me to Pallet."

The gigantic fire Pokemon nodded, trying to get accustomed to his Trainer's voice commanding him again. She had become more silent, almost mute during their time in Mt. Silver. He relaxed his wings and leaned down for Leaf to climb on top before soaring into the skies.

* * *

"And that is why I think th-..." Professor Oak trailed off, needing a moment to recollect himself just as Leaf's Pokemon did earlier that day. His assistant that he was talking to wore similar, yet less emotional expressions. Standing in the doorway of the busy laboratory was no other than the former Kanto Champion - the one that claimed her title and then disappeared long ago.

"Professor. I got your message. I'm sorry I'm so late." Leaf held out Fearow's Pokeball to the benevolent, aging man. "Here's your Fearow."

"Ah, hahaha, ahem! Thank you Leaf!" The elderly man decided to dismiss his thoughts and quickly regained his composure. "I'm glad you're here now. We honestly had no idea if you were coming back after a bit there. But since you're here now, let's get to it. Marion!"

An assistant in a lab coat trotted forward quickly. "Yes sir?"

"Please phone my grandson and ask him to come here."

"Will do."

Leaf felt a shiver go down her spine. She had regretted the readiness she had felt to be around people again. Why, just why is he coming here?

"I know what you're thinking, Leaf. But Blue is going to help, trust me."

* * *

"Gramps! What's the emer-...gen...cy?" The teenage boy halted in his tracks. Pure shock hit him like a bus. In the split instant of silence, he calmed his roaring heartbeat that leaped to his throat. He would do whatever it would take to have others assume he had a calm composure.

Leaf, on the other hand, was able to attain what he yearned for with ease. Her frustration from waiting was replaced with curiosity. Her eyes scanned each detail of her eternal rival, from his velvet black footwear to his shiny, leather jacket. His face had matured and perhaps his hair had grown out a few inches. She didn't expect to witness the same twelve-year-old boy she saw dashing out of the Pokemon League three years ago, and yet, she seemed to forget one of the most notable qualities about him.

He is **_loud._**

"Oh...my...Arceus."

"Leaf! ...You... ** _you LOOK RIDICULOUS,_** **_AHAHAHAHAHAHA!_** " Blue leaned forward into the lab, causing the entrance to slam itself shut. Then, he came to attention and crossed his arms. His cackling gradually turning into a quiet chuckle.

"...You're still the same." She spat out, emotionless. The girl understood that Blue was criticizing her choice of clothing. Did he really expect her to look like one of those lasses that she's seen on her way to Pallet? Not even a minute has passed and the impish boy was already instigating, and it provoked her grudges that were locked in deep slumber from long ago. Is it even possible to work with this guy? She almost questioned the Professor's tragedy.

"Oh yeah? Ask anyone around, because I would think everyone would say that about you." Blue closed a good chunk of the distance between the two of them, resulting in Leaf creating more.

"Blue! Good, now you're both here."

Instantly, Blue's eyes flickered to the man he was just thinking about, whereas Leaf spun around to face him. It was time to get to the business they both have been summoned for.

"Since this...erm, mission," the Professor raised his free hand away from a parcel, creating air quotes, "has been delayed for quite some time now, I can't exactly sit here and schmooze with you two over a cup of tea. Long story short: As you both know, Team Rocket is back." The Professor's eyes turned to Leaf. "As of 65 days ago, there has been complete radio silence of their activity in Kanto. However, there have been multiple attacks in the Johto Region since. I need to send Professor Elm my most formidable trainers. Take this package and these tickets, because as of this evening. you're going to Johto." He tossed the brown box to his grandson in a hurried matter and then shooed them away hurriedly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it, Gramps!" Blue peeled off two purchased, golden tickets taped on the top of the box. "S.S. Aqua? Going to Johto? What the hell, man? I have a Gym to run!"

The Professor crossed his arms. "Your sister, Daisy, is actually going to be covering your title while you are gone. I have already spoken to her about this awhile ago and she has been on standby since."

Blue hit the box in frustration. His grandfather always had an answer for everything, and now he was being pushed into something he didn't want to even help out with in the first place. "Yeah, okay, whatever. S.S. Aqua is suppose ta' be in Vermilion City, so we're going there now. Come on, Loser." He yanked her wrist and dragged her outside the lab, shocked by her lack of protest. Meanwhile, she had been shocked by his sudden cooperation – a quality she could not previously imagine in her rival.

"Blue."

The boy turned around and raised an eyebrow curiously, as he intended to speak to her instead of the reverse. He tried to ignore the sound of his own name when she spoke, but it was too much of a bittersweet temptation. Deep down, he was thrilled to bits that she had returned. He wanted to hear more of the sound of her voice. "Yeah, what?"

"Why are we walking like a bunch of idiots to save the world when we have our own Flying Pokemon." He scoffed. Her sarcasm was something he disliked more than the fact her questions came out more like statements. "I was GETTING to that!"

Leaf titled her head slightly to the left, much like a baffled Growlithe. In return, Blue shuttered intensely. A deep, peach undertone was revealed on his cheeks.

"Augh! He huffed, then proceeded to pull out a Pokeball that Leaf presumed was his Pidgeot. "Let's get going."

* * *

 _ **Hey guys! So if you've been on here for a bit now, you might recognize this story. This is actually my third version of an idea I came up with in years ago. I intend to rewrite this story and complete it. Please leave me any feedback and/or reactions as you read along - getting any sort of response is really motivating for me. :)  
**_

 _ **\- Stormshard**_


	2. The Beginning

**_"Are you serious?!"_** Blue roared.

Leaf flinched at her eternal rival's commotion. His voice was so loud that it might as well be their ride to the Johto region.  
"Yes, _I'm serious_ ," Leaf retorted, "Do you really expect me to just leave the region in the blink of an eye without saying a word to my mother? She hasn't even seen me in years!" Leaf rose her hand in her last exclamation.

"Well that's your fault for not keeping in touch in the first place! The ship leaves in twelve minutes, Leaf. _Twelve minutes!"_ Blue stressed the last part by pointing at the S.S. Aqua in front of them. They had just arrived to the shores of Vermilion City.

Leaf's face contorted into a scowl as guilt pulled at her heart strings. She already felt horrible enough for her lack of contact and can't imagine herself feeling much better once she inevitably leaves her mother again. She masked these thoughts with anger.

"You have no right to override my decisions, so either wait here or don't! I'm going to be on the loading dock in twelve minutes and I'll do whatever I want until then!" She huffed and stomped toward the café that she once remembered to be nothing but a mere construction sight.

Heads turned to the two during their heated argument, but the attention quickly transformed into a very small, flabbergasted paparazzi upon the realization that two elite trainers were in their presence. Most attempted to swarm Leaf, but some turned to Blue after seeing how the Kanto Champion ignored efforts of dialogue and adoration.

He politely asked to be left alone, fuming on the fact pressing matter of Team Rocket and the thought of the girl's inconsideration to anything and anyone but herself.

* * *

Leaf's mouth quietly trembled. She had pictured this scenario in her head a few times and knew what she wanted to say, but was unable to figure out how to start once her mouth opened.

Her mother shot up from the table she was waiting at and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace upon sight. It flooded the two with intense emotion as their familiarity with each other's scents kicked in. The café was painted with warm colors and was touched with dim lighting that was easy on the eyes. It was also a quiet and mellow atmosphere. The perfect place for this moment without any interruption.

The two were frozen solid for a few minutes, but then Leaf's body began to give into the weight that was pressing on her shoulders and pulling down from her stomach. Her composure broke and she didn't care.

"I-I'm so sorry Mom. I'm s-s-s-so sorry I didn't s-say anything. And I'm sorry for texting you and m-making you come all the way out here out of nowhere." Hot tears soaked into the older woman's blouse.

"It's okay sweetheart, it's okay. Shh." She could detect the strain in her mother's voice. "I was already on a work trip anyway. It was fate. And you're here now. We're both here together."

Leaf hugged her mother even tighter, overwhelmed by the instantaneous forgiveness she knew she didn't deserve. She felt her mother's palm press firmly into her shoulder blade as it glided back and forth in consolation.

Leaf pulled away, rubbing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"About that…I'm going to Johto. Right now, actually. With Blue." She reluctantly added.

Her mother sat down, picking up the coffee she had ordered. Her daughter followed suit and sat in the opposing seat.

"I know that, dear. Professor Oak has been speaking to me about what's been going on. He told me about his plans to send you two there. I knew that if he had a chance of finding you with his Fearow you would go."

Leaf looked deeply into her mother's eyes. They seemed worn. Her face had aged a bit with the addition of wrinkles she had not seen before. Her hair was also tied up in a messy bun and her fingernails were stubbed and uneven in length. Despite the fortunate Leaf had obtained and offered years ago, her mother insisted on making a living her own way. And it was evident that she had been working hard.

"I...the trip…" Leaf grunted in annoyance. She felt forced into this topic and changed it whimsically. "I didn't plan to stay on Mt. Silver for so long. I just hated all the attention I was getting and I felt like I had nothing else to reach for. I hated being 'the best' and I didn't feel like I accomplished anything satisfying enough to come home. And I didn't have any WiFi all the way up there so I didn't talk to anyone. I didn't even leave the mountain, I would always send my pokemon to get groceries and stuff because I was keeping myself busy and trying to clear my head."

Her mother patiently titled her head slightly downward and waited a moment before responding. Her presumptions about Leaf had been right – she sought out solitude after feeling bombarded since she didn't know how else to cope - and she wanted to make sure that her distressed daughter has the space to pour her heart out.

"I understand, Leaf. I knew the pressure was hard on you, and I while I missed you, I didn't take any of it personally. You are grown woman now and you are very independent and vivacious. I have full confidence in your abilities and I will always be here if you ever need me."

Leaf reached for her mother's hand across the table and gave it a squeeze. "I just never fit the picture for being any sort of public figure." Leaf continued, "I like doing things for me, not for the spotlight. And as soon as I got it I felt like I wasn't allowed to make any mistakes anymore. I was a wallflower before my journey started and then suddenly everyone wanted to be my friend once I reached the end in a blink of an eye…because of what I was, not who I was. I hated it. And I feel so incomplete."

"You don't have to let anyone in that you don't want to, and you still have people who have loved and cared about you since the beginning. They know who Leaf Green really is."

Leaf nodded, not sure of what to say next.

"But," her mother continued, "This is going to be a whole new beginning for you. And I think it's going to serve you well. Trust me sweetie – it's not the endpoint that really counts. It just gets all the glory. The journey is what matters most and it's where all the blood, sweat, and tears go. How could you become something without going through the molding process first?" Her mother's famous grin appeared. "And you're still a young chipper with a big story waiting to unfold. One region isn't going to be enough for all that."

"Thank you Mom. I don't know what I would do without you."

And the young champion meant it, too. She felt herself to be less on edge since some of her pent up emotions were relieved.

After her father's death, it would make sense for her mother to hit a bump on the road. But her resilience nature has never failed – she always kept her cool, always knew what to say, always adopted a healthy perspective when faced with any obstacle. She was a true role model. Someone deserving of fame.

A loud buzzer went off. The two startled ladies turned their heads to Leaf's phone, identifying it as the source of the buzzing.

"It looks like you need to get going."

Leaf stood up and hugged her mother once more. The two stood breathed it in for a moment before silently letting it go.

"I promise I'm going to call you every once in a while. I'm really sorry I have to get going like this."

"Don't apologize, dear. Just keep doing you and press onward. I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Blue heard footsteps approaching from behind. The sun had managed to descend into the waters in the time that Leaf was gone. He was attempting to admire the beauty of the sunset to calm down, but as soon as the girl returned, he felt himself boiling up again. It had been eighteen minutes. The ship didn't leave yet since he resorted to wooing the staff with his Gym Leader status and pleaded them to wait a little longer, but it was still too close for comfort and he hated stalling so many people by abusing the power of his title.

He whipped around, prepared to bark at the outspoken girl, but tensed up at the sight of her face. Her composure was slightly slumped and her eyes were at her feet, appearing glassy. Her nose was bright red.  
It was evident that she had been crying and the talk must have been hard one way or another.

"Ah-…Let's getting going."

Leaf nodded her head and followed closely behind Blue as they entered the ship.

* * *

The pair received a room that had a bed on either side and plenty of storage space for their luggage. It was more than enough for the two trainers, who were already accustomed to travelling light and efficiently.

Blue didn't pay much mind to Leaf's whereabouts for the following two hours. He imagined she wandered out to a private area on the deck to think – a tendency that he honestly expected her to keep up after her sudden and long disappearance. He occupied himself by keeping up with news reports about Team Rocket and was texting his sister about how things were going at the Viridian Gym. She teased him for being a worried workaholic checking in so early, then processed to wager bets on how many trainers would earn the badge while he was gone. He chuckled at her energy and could see her excitement to battle.

The suite door clicked and got pushed open by a now tranquil Leaf. Her hat was off, already placed on the nightstand next to her bed. She was holding her Espeon in arms and it was purring affectionately. Its eyes wandered to Blue and it leaped toward the familiar face to say hello.

"We need to talk to Professor Elm soon." Blue extended his hand to stroke the Pokemon he once remembered as a small, weak Eevee. "He knows we're on our way, but he'll probably want to brief us before we get to Johto."

Leaf flopped on her bed. "Tomorrow."

Blue fixed his gaze on the girl in front of him. She was leaning on her side so she faced him, but loose strands of her hair completely mopped over her face. She looked exhausted. _How could she be so drained?_ He picked up the Espeon, who had become a little overbearing by demanding too much attention with all the rubbing, and took it to its trainer. He came to his knees and propped Espeon on the bed, resting his arms on the edge. The pokemon curled up against the girl and prepared to nap. Leaf opened her droopy eyes.

"I don't know why you've been acting so emotional and depressed since you've came back, but you really need to get it out of your system now. We're going to have to be able to cooperate if we want to get anything done effectively in Johto."

Oddly enough, Leaf didn't feel too provoked by what Blue had said. She was spent and he did have a point, even if his execution wasn't anywhere near her mother's level.

"Okay." She muttered, an crackled octave down from her usual tone of voice.

Blue grunted, a concerned look washing up on his face. He extended his hand again, and for a moment, Leaf assumed he was going to pet her Espeon again. Instead, he gently whisked away the strands of her hair blocking her face. Upon noticing her acceptance of this behavior, he dug his nails in slightly and pulled the last layer of hair behind her ear. He felt himself lingering for a split second as he was attempting to read her blank face. Her eyes closed again. He wanted to say something to fill the silence, but couldn't come up with anything.

So he got up and walked back over to his side of the room, making sure to be quiet enough to let the girl fall into a deep slumber.


End file.
